Instagram Creates New Feature to Fight Animal Abuse

Users of the social media platform are now shown a message against animal exploitation when searching for hashtags that refer to wild animal abuse.

In honor of Wildlife Conservation Day, social media platform Instagram launched this week a new tool to fight animal exploitation. Instagram now displays a content advisory screen that informs a user about hashtags—such as #slothlife—that might be promoting animal exploitation. “Animal abuse and the sale of endangered animals or their parts is not allowed on Instagram,” the pop-up text on the screen states. “You are searching for a hashtag that may be associated with posts that encourage harmful behavior to animals or the environment.” Instagram also set up a page in its Help Center to educate users about the exploitation of wild animals. The social media platform will use the tool to discourage users from purchasing wild animals for private use. “We are committed to fostering a safer, kinder world,” the social media platform stated, “both on Instagram and beyond.”